ALLIANCE FOR PATIENT ACCESS ¡ JUNE 2021 1 THE PHYSICIAN’S PERSPECTIVE • JUNE 2021 Biosimilars: Expanding Options for Cancer Care Biosimilars are increasing the number of safe, effective treatments for cancer. How can policies ensure that they’re accessible for oncologists to personalize cancer care? Biosimilars are just one part of a wave of new treatment options for cancer. Advances include precision medicine, where cancer treatment is customized for a patient's individual genetics and personal history. Another breakthrough is immunotherapy, drugs that stimulate a patient's immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. Immunotherapy and other innovative cancer treatments are examples of biologic medicines, drugs derived from living organisms. In some cases, biologics can be more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy, and pose fewer side effects. Now oncologists and patients benefit from an expanding number of biologics with the addition of biosimilars. These FDA-approved drugs are “highly similar” to, and have “no clinically meaningful differences,” from existing reference products. 1 Like innovator biologics, biosimilars treat a range of chronic diseases. They offer particular value for cancer patients. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD Jeffrey B. VanDeusen, MD, PhD
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ALLIANCE FOR PATIENT ACCESS ¡ JUNE 2021 1
THE PHYSICIAN’S PERSPECTIVE • JUNE 2021
Biosimilars: Expanding Options for Cancer Care
Biosimilars are increasing the number of safe, effective treatments for cancer. How can policies ensure that they’re accessible for oncologists to personalize cancer care?
Biosimilars are just one part of a wave of new treatment options for cancer.
Advances include precision medicine, where cancer treatment is customized
for a patient's individual genetics and personal history. Another breakthrough is
immunotherapy, drugs that stimulate a patient's immune system to recognize and
kill cancer cells.
Immunotherapy and other innovative cancer treatments are examples of biologic
medicines, drugs derived from living organisms. In some cases, biologics can be more
effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy, and pose fewer side effects.
Now oncologists and patients benefit from an expanding number of biologics with
the addition of biosimilars. These FDA-approved drugs are “highly similar” to, and
have “no clinically meaningful differences,” from existing reference products.1
Like innovator biologics, biosimilars treat a range of chronic diseases. They offer
particular value for cancer patients.
Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD Jeffrey B. VanDeusen, MD, PhD
oncologists and patients. These medications can provide
more treatment alternatives and more individualized
care for cancer patients. They can also be cost effective,
which can allow for better allocation of resources.
To make the most of these options, physicians need
a steady stream of data to support their confidence
in different biosimilars. Patients, meanwhile, need to
be empowered through education and awareness.
Physicians and patients both benefit when policies
support access to multiple treatment options and allow
shared decision-making about which treatments work
best for each individual patient.
ALLIANCE FOR PATIENT ACCESS ¡ JUNE 2021 5
References1. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Biosimilar and
Interchangeable Products. 2017 Oct 23. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/biosimilars/biosimilar-and-interchangeable-products#biosimilar
2. Simoens S, Jacobs I, Popovian R, Isakov L, Shane LG. Assessing the Value of Biosimilars: A Review of the Role of Budget Impact Analysis. Pharmacoeconomics. 2017 Oct;35(10):1047-1062. DOI: 10.1007/s40273-017-0529-x. PMID: 28660473; PMCID: PMC5606961. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5606961/
3. Celia L and Elsen J. Biosimilars: Not Simply Generics. US Pharm. 2019;44(6)(Generic Drugs suppl):36-39. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/biosimilars-not-simply-generics
4. Jeremias S. Providers Exploit Minor Differences Between Innovator Drugs and Biosimilars. The Center for Biosimilars. 2020 Nov 24. https://www.centerforbiosimilars.com/view/providers-exploit-minor-differences-between-innovator-drugs-and-biosimilars
5. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. FDA’s Actions in Response to 2019 Novel Coronavirus at Home and Abroad. 2020 Feb 14. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fdas-actions-response-2019-novel-coronavirus-home-and-abroad
6. Franceschetti A. NHL and rituximab biosimilar: How have prescribing behaviours changed in EU5 in 15 months? Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2019 May; 37 (15) DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.e19054 https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.e19054
7. Jin R, Accortt N, Sandschafer D, Lawrence T, Loaiza-Bonilla A. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2021 Jan 20; 39 (3) DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.3_suppl.81. https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2021.39.3_suppl.81
8. Kabir ER, Moreino SS, Sharif Siam MK. The Breakthrough of Biosimilars: A Twist in the Narrative of Biological Therapy. Biomolecules. 2019 Aug 24;9(9):410. DOI: 10.3390/biom9090410. PMID: 31450637; PMCID: PMC6770099. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770099/
9. Teeple A, Ginsburg S, Howard L, Huff L, Reynolds C, Walls D, Ellis LA, Curtis JR. Patient attitudes about non-medical switching to biosimilars: results from an online patient survey in the United States. Curr Med Res Opin. 2019 Apr;35(4):603-609. DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2018.1560221. Epub 2019 Jan 8. PMID: 30618353. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30618353/
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD
Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD, is an oncologist at the Cancer
Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. Dr. Bonilla
is a member of the Alliance for Patient Access’ Oncology
Therapy Access Working Group and a co-convener of
the Biologics Prescribers Collaborative.
Jeffrey B. VanDeusen, MD, PhD
Jeffrey B. VanDeusen, MD, PhD is an oncologist
and assistant professor at The Ohio State University.
Dr. VanDeusen is a member of the Alliance for Patient